Water needs, development a fluid situation in Montclair

By Andrew Segedin

Staff Writer |

The Montclair Times

Montclair has a water deficit, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. While municipal officials will consider whether developing a well in Nishuane Park or leasing additional water is the best measure to correct the deficit, residents during the April 29 Township Council meeting questioned how proposed development will fit into Montclair's water needs, and vice versa.

This map illustrates the municipal water wells and storage tanks located throughout Montclair.

Montclair's deficit, according to Township Manager Marc Dashield and Water Bureau Director Gary Obszarny, relates to its "firm capacity," a calculation used to indicate a municipality's capability in handling peak water consumption while its top water source - in Montclair's case, Glenfield Well - is inoperative.

According to the DEP, Montclair's firm capacity deficit stands at 857,000 gallons per day. By adding the estimated 1.12 million gallon-per-day yield of the yet-unfinished Nishuane Well, Montclair would be able to use Glenfield and its 864,000 gallon-per-day yield towards its firm capacity, creating a 7,000 gallon daily surplus.

How far that surplus will go with proposed development, Dashield told The Times on Tuesday, will be constantly monitored. The CentroVerde residential/retail/hotel development being built off Bloomfield Avenue and Valley Road is included in the DEP's figures, according to Dashield. Potential developments that have been proposed or approved since CentroVerde are not.

More than any large development, Dashield said that he's concerned about how the water deficit can hinder the building of single-family homes.

"Quite frankly, we don't know where development is going," said Dashield of the potential water needs for additional developments. "We have to anticipate what will happen moving forward ... It'll be constantly worked on."

Montclair is not in unusual territory, according to NJDEP Water Supply & Geoscience Director Fred Sickels, who said that his department has worked with numerous New Jersey municipalities that have different kinds of water deficits.

Sickels and Steven Pundy, section chief of the DEP's North Bureau of Water System Engineering Division of Water Supply and Geoscience, told The Times that firm capacity calculations vary slightly from municipality to municipality. Pundy said that projecting how much additional water would be needed for a development goes beyond projected units, but also into square footage and the ratio between commercial and residential elements, with various state departments getting involved.

Municipalities with deficits, in Sickels experience, have dug wells, altered water contracts and, more expensively, treated wastewater for non-potable uses. Sickels described conserved water as "the cheapest water you can get," and that irrigation conservation of just 10 or 15 percent during the summer months can pay dividends.

Before crediting a municipality's firm capacity for its water conservation, Sickels said that the municipality would need to prove that its efforts are sustainable for the long term. Similarly, if Montclair were to look to increase the efficiency of existing wells, it would need to prove that the increased yields are sustainable.

"They have that well in the ground," Sickels said of Montclair and the Nishuane Park well. "We'll see what they have in the ground and hopefully that'll go a long way in decreasing their deficit."

Fourth Ward Township Councilwoman Renée Baskerville, who earlier this year hosted a community meeting previewing some of the municipality's Nishuane well options, said that she hoped the township would heed the residents' call for increased conservation efforts. Baskerville said that options could include setting water-limit standards on toilets and plumbing to conservation initiatives ranging from watering lawns to toilet usage.

Mayor Robert Jackson told The Times that he, too, sees a need for Montclair to look deeper into conservation methods. As the township explores whether to purchase additional water or develop the Nishuane well, Jackson said he was confident that the township will be able to support current development.

Jackson said that his main goal is for Montclair to be water independent.

Montclair receives 77 percent of its water from Wanaque Reservoir and 23 percent from wells. The mayor said that he'd prefer a 60/40 split.

"Again, if you have more flexibility, that doesn't mean you're running wells all the time," Jackson said. "It means they're there if you need them. Long-term ... water independence, water sustainability will be better."

Water needs, development a fluid situation in Montclair

This map illustrates the municipal water wells and storage tanks located throughout Montclair.

By Andrew Segedin

Staff Writer |

The Montclair Times

Montclair has a water deficit, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. While municipal officials will consider whether developing a well in Nishuane Park or leasing additional water is the best measure to correct the deficit, residents during the April 29 Township Council meeting questioned how proposed development will fit into Montclair's water needs, and vice versa.

Montclair's deficit, according to Township Manager Marc Dashield and Water Bureau Director Gary Obszarny, relates to its "firm capacity," a calculation used to indicate a municipality's capability in handling peak water consumption while its top water source - in Montclair's case, Glenfield Well - is inoperative.

According to the DEP, Montclair's firm capacity deficit stands at 857,000 gallons per day. By adding the estimated 1.12 million gallon-per-day yield of the yet-unfinished Nishuane Well, Montclair would be able to use Glenfield and its 864,000 gallon-per-day yield towards its firm capacity, creating a 7,000 gallon daily surplus.

How far that surplus will go with proposed development, Dashield told The Times on Tuesday, will be constantly monitored. The CentroVerde residential/retail/hotel development being built off Bloomfield Avenue and Valley Road is included in the DEP's figures, according to Dashield. Potential developments that have been proposed or approved since CentroVerde are not.

More than any large development, Dashield said that he's concerned about how the water deficit can hinder the building of single-family homes.

"Quite frankly, we don't know where development is going," said Dashield of the potential water needs for additional developments. "We have to anticipate what will happen moving forward ... It'll be constantly worked on."

Montclair is not in unusual territory, according to NJDEP Water Supply & Geoscience Director Fred Sickels, who said that his department has worked with numerous New Jersey municipalities that have different kinds of water deficits.

Sickels and Steven Pundy, section chief of the DEP's North Bureau of Water System Engineering Division of Water Supply and Geoscience, told The Times that firm capacity calculations vary slightly from municipality to municipality. Pundy said that projecting how much additional water would be needed for a development goes beyond projected units, but also into square footage and the ratio between commercial and residential elements, with various state departments getting involved.

Municipalities with deficits, in Sickels experience, have dug wells, altered water contracts and, more expensively, treated wastewater for non-potable uses. Sickels described conserved water as "the cheapest water you can get," and that irrigation conservation of just 10 or 15 percent during the summer months can pay dividends.

Before crediting a municipality's firm capacity for its water conservation, Sickels said that the municipality would need to prove that its efforts are sustainable for the long term. Similarly, if Montclair were to look to increase the efficiency of existing wells, it would need to prove that the increased yields are sustainable.

"They have that well in the ground," Sickels said of Montclair and the Nishuane Park well. "We'll see what they have in the ground and hopefully that'll go a long way in decreasing their deficit."

Fourth Ward Township Councilwoman Renée Baskerville, who earlier this year hosted a community meeting previewing some of the municipality's Nishuane well options, said that she hoped the township would heed the residents' call for increased conservation efforts. Baskerville said that options could include setting water-limit standards on toilets and plumbing to conservation initiatives ranging from watering lawns to toilet usage.

Mayor Robert Jackson told The Times that he, too, sees a need for Montclair to look deeper into conservation methods. As the township explores whether to purchase additional water or develop the Nishuane well, Jackson said he was confident that the township will be able to support current development.

Jackson said that his main goal is for Montclair to be water independent.

Montclair receives 77 percent of its water from Wanaque Reservoir and 23 percent from wells. The mayor said that he'd prefer a 60/40 split.

"Again, if you have more flexibility, that doesn't mean you're running wells all the time," Jackson said. "It means they're there if you need them. Long-term ... water independence, water sustainability will be better."